BEIJING (Kashmir English): SF Airlines, China’s largest air cargo carrier in fleet size, has launched a new air cargo route linking Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China, and Pakistan’s federal capital Islamabad.
According to SF Airlines, the Islamabad-Urumqi route is the first all-cargo route launched by SF Airlines in Xinjiang.
The new service will carry cross-border e-commerce goods and other products, according to the carrier company.
Purely a cargo service
Two round-trip flights are scheduled to shuttle between Islamabad and Urumqi every week, providing more than 110 tonnes of air transport capacity weekly.
With the launch of the route, the SF Airlines air cargo services now reaches three destinations in Pakistan, serving China-Pakistan economic and trade exchanges.
The initiative is aimed at enhancing logistics convenience between the two countries, said SF Airlines which is headquartered in Shenzhen.
To date, the carrier operates 89 all-cargo freighters, according to statistics from the company.
Both countries enjoy good economic, trade and diplomatic relations. Pakistani pine nut exports to China surpassed $18.78 million in 2024, according to official data.
According to the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC), in 2024 China imported 981.64 tons of pine nuts from Pakistan, with a total value of $18.78 million, up from $8.22 million in 2023.
China turns out to be one of the largest markets for Pakistani pine nuts, accounting for 35% of the total $53.71 million worth of pine nuts imported by China in 2024.
The rise in the pine nut sales is linked to the widespread promotion of Pakistani produce on major e-commerce platforms.
Pakistani pine nuts are recognized worldwide for their rich flavour and clean texture, making them a loved preference for Chinese consumers.
